Three Lies
by merrygloom
Summary: Blake and Yang go on their first date and try and get to know each other. At the end of the day, they are unaware as they walk away that they know even less about the other. Blake/Yang, Blake&Yang. College AU. First installment to 'Nothing Like You' series.


Warnings: References to Abuse (Emotional, Physical, and Psychological so far) as well as the after-effects of being gaslighted by an abuser.

Past Adam/Blake and Neo/Yang greatly referenced to.

* * *

It smells like autumn when Blake steps out of her dormitory. She doesn't see Yang quite yet, but she sits down on the retaining wall from the plot of trees to the side walk. It's chilly, but not enough that she can't wait outside.

Other students walk in and out of the dorm building and Blake looks at them as they pass.

She attends Beacon University, but this past summer she took a couple classes at Signal Community College, because it was the cheaper option and Beacon accepted the credits. Signal was where she'd met Yang Xiao Long, in a shared GenEd Psych class.

Yang had first approached her to ask her to be her note taker with the promise that if she signed a form, the disabilities office would pay her in a rather substantial gift-card to Tukson's Book Trade. Blake would have accepted without the gift-card, all she had to do was e-mail any notes she took for herself during the class to Yang. Still, Blake had spent it already after getting it in the mail a couple weeks ago.

Before the summer semester had ended, though, Yang had approached her and asked her if she wouldn't like to go out with her sometime. They'd had a sort of friendship bloom throughout the semester, but this was their first time meeting outside of class.

Blake rubs her sweaty palms on her black pants, a bit nervous. She'd be lying if she said she didn't like Yang and Blake had the suspicion this wasn't just a date between friends.

A girl walks passed her, shrieking in laughter as she talks on her scroll. Blake adjusts the bottom of her white blouse, to make sure it is still covering her completely. It is, of course. She takes out her scroll and opens her cam to check and make sure her hijab looks decent. She's wearing her indigo one, with another tucked in, shaped like a ribbon on the top of her head. Blake's just wondering if the bow doesn't look stupid when she hears the rumble of a motorcycle stopping in front of her.

"Hey!" Yang calls, taking off her helmet and shakes her curls free. Blake wonders what sort of product she uses on her hair that she doesn't have helmet-hair. "Looking good, Blake."

Yang grins toothily and Blake smiles hesitantly back. Yang isn't showing quite as much flesh as she had at times during the summer, but she is wearing a miniskirt. Blake worries about what kind of plans Yang might have for the day. She wonders if she doesn't have time to cancel their date.

"Hey," Blake greets, stopping and waiting a moment. "So – today was your idea. What is your plan for the day?"

"Well, I'm not much of a planner – you might have noticed," Yang smiles. Blake has noticed. Yang's been known as a bit of a procrastinator in class - always cramming before exams and with Blake's notes no less. At Blake's look of exasperation, Yang continues, "But, I thought maybe we'd go and feed some ducks at the park? After that, I've got a couple ideas but I figured we could play it by ear if that's cool?"

"You want to... feed the ducks?" Yang's wearing a miniskirt that Blake wonders how Yang can stand it. She also has on a low-cut camisole tank layered under her even more low-cut collared sleeveless shirt, showing off her ample bosom. Even if Yang's got a bolero jacket and thigh-highs to cover most of her flesh, Blake's seen what Yang wears to class. It isn't conservative, most of it midriff baring. She had been expecting Yang to drag her into something wild and dangerous even if it was the middle of the day – hence much of prior reluctance to go out with Yang her. But feeding ducks sounds more like child-playdate activities than anything else.

"Yep," Yang's lips pop on the 'p,' "There's a park not too far from here with a ton of ducks we can feed – baby ones too! So the big question is: wanna walk to the park or shall we take Bumblebee here? I've got a spare helmet – just in case. But really, it isn't too far."

Bumblebee, Blake guesses, is the motorcycle that Yang is patting with affection. It doesn't have a sidecar attached, so Blake supposes she'll be expected to hold on to Yang from behind.

"Walking is fine."

Yang seems pleased and grins, offering her arm. Her violet eyes sparkle with self-aware mirth. Blake rolls her eyes and walks passed Yang with a chuckle.

"You're getting ahead of yourself there, Yang," Blake teases. Yang snorts in delight, almost tripping over her feet to jog after Blake.

"That's fine, but you're going the wrong way." Yang giggles a bit and Blake's getting dangerously close to actually crushing on Yang and they've barely begun their outing.

"...Lead the way."

Yang does, after securing her bike, and Blake falls into step beside her. For a while they walk in companionable silence, until Blake breaks it.

"So, how long are you planning to keep me today?"

Yang grins, "Well that depends on if you've got any plans later tonight, 'cause I'd like to keep you as long as possible."

Blake only hesitates before answering, "Well, I'd like to get home before sunset, for Maghrib prayer. So about six at the latest?" It's twelve thirty now, so that gives them almost six hours – a rather long first date. She doesn't regret telling Yang when Yang's face splits in delight. 'Gosh,' Blake thinks, 'Yang is cute.'

"Great – I promise to have you home in one piece before your carriage turns into a pumpkin Cinderella." The apples of Yang's cheeks are rosy as she smiles wide and Blake can see faint freckles that she hadn't noticed before on her nose.

Yang is like her complete opposite – the sunshine to her shadow, loud and fun and the center of attention and Blake just isn't. Yang's, well, the Yang to her Yin. Except Blake doesn't think their differences can be complementary; she knows that the "opposites attract" adage can only end in disaster after how things turned out with her and Adam. All the same, Yang's got a magnetism that Blake cannot deny and Blake is quickly finding herself in her orbit.

Blake's almost as thrilled as she is terrified.

"Isn't Cinderella's curfew midnight?"

"Is it?" Yang asks. "I never really watched movies as a kid. Could never sit still long enough for them. If I have to sit in front of a screen, I'd rather play video games - be involved myself y'know."

"Depends on which version you're talking about, but most people know the Disney version of the tale now. That one is midnight."

Yang nods her head in interest. "Hey, so who's your favorite Disney princess? Mine was always Belle. I mean, there's Mulan too, but I always liked Belle. I think I had a crush on her. Maybe she's why I still like girls who read a lot."

Blake flushes but pays no mind to Yang's flirtation. "Mine was Jasmine. Duh."

Yang laughs. Most of the rest of the walk to the park – just under a mile by foot – they share facts about themselves. Their favorite colors, favorite foods, favorite bands, and whatever other useless trivia they can think of (Yang's are: red, her dad's Dao Xiao Mian in his specially made beef broth, and The Achieve Men, which Blake teases her for).

Once at the park – Patch Arboretum, Blake has to stop for a moment. Its beautiful, with the leaves starting to change color and fall to the ground. Blake's seen the arboretum before while passing on the street, but she'd never ventured inside it. Its rather large, with trails winding into the trees for people to walk down as well as a sizable pond. She sees the ducks dotting the water surface and then she frowns as she realizes something. "You didn't bring anything to feed them with."

"This park has duck feed you can buy. 'Sides I think its banned to bring your own, because I think bread or something pollutes the pond... or something like that." Yang answers, already heading down to the pond. Blake sighs, following after.

Sure enough, there are feed dispensers. Yang slips some coins into a dispenser and cups her hand to catch the pellets. She shares half with Blake and the ducks are already coming out of the pond to greet them.

"Look, see!" Yang coos as one duck approaches with several baby ducks. Yang edges around the other adult ducks clamoring for Yang's attention to feed the ducklings instead. "Babies!"

The ducks crowd around them both and Blake makes sure to feed the adults that Yang isn't feeding. She shakes her head fondly as Yang pulls out her scroll and takes several photos of the ducklings, still fussing about how little they are. Blake takes a couple pictures of Yang with the babies when Yang isn't looking with her own scroll.

"Isn't it a bit late for ducks to be having babies?" Blake asks as she drops the last of her pellets, already fishing around her pack for coins to buy more.

"Yeah," Yang answers, "This momma duck got confused last year too and had her babies rather late again. But the park has staff that check up on them and make sure that the babies make it through the winter." Yang jogs over to buy more feed with her and more ducks are coming to get fed by them. Blake drops some pellets and steps back as four ducks waddle to eat and hears a low hiss behind her. She turns around and sees an angry goose hissing at her.

"Oh," Blake breaths and drops some feed for the goose and backs away. At Beacon University, they've got a whole flock of geese that invade the campus in the spring, even though there isn't any bodies of water for them. They can get pretty aggressive, chasing down students just trying to get to class. There's another hiss and Blake turns to see another goose. She drops more feed for this goose as well and tiptoes away as best as she can. The goose follows at her heels still hissing. "Oh dear."

Yang looks up and Blake starts running when several more geese rush her, hissing.

"Oh my god," Yang laughs, chasing after her. The geese follow them, one of them even taking flight for a moment. At least they are only attacking them and not any of the ducklings. They both run laughing half-hysterically. Suddenly, Yang grabs her and lifts her up under the armpit and half-tosses her onto a picnic bench they are running passed but Yang keeps running. The geese follow her and Blake watches from the safety of her table as Yang swears as the geese hiss at her heels.

She bends in half from laughter when Yang stumbles and runs on all-fours for a moment before she can set herself straight. Luckily the geese leave her alone soon after that. Several other people in the park stand laughing and watching Yang trek back to Blake, cheeks red.

"You okay?" Blake asks when Yang approaches, still giggling.

Yang pouts, her lower lip jutting out exaggeratingly far. "I saved you from a violent, fowl murder. Be nice."

Squinting at Yang as she drops onto the table with her, Blake asks, "Was that a pun?"

Yang blinks innocently as she tries to wipe dirt away from her palms on the picnic table. With a sigh, Blake takes a moist towelette from her pack and hands it to Yang. Yang takes it with a soft, "Thanks," and rips it open with her teeth. After wiping her hands clean, Yang crumples into up with the wrapper and tosses it into the nearby trashcan.

"Score!" Yang cries with a fist pump when it. She gets up though and tosses in a few other plastic cups and wrappers on the ground from other people who hadn't been quite so lucky. Yang tosses those in the trash as well. Then she sags in the bench, head against the table.

"That should by a Vytal Sport." Yang groans.

"What, tossing something into something else by hand to score a point?" Blake teases, "I think that's called basketball."

Yang gives her a playful shove. "I'm talking about goose races. Race a goose." Yang laughs. "Honestly, I'm just glad they weren't swans. Now those are some mean ass birds. How they are symbols of love is beyond me – their hearts of full of pure hate."

Blake laughs and a comfortable silence blankets them. The autumn wind smells nice around them, leaves rustling in the trees near them. Some leaves fall and dance in the wind before settling on the grass. Yang's eyes are shut, her dark lashes kissing her flushed cheeks. Her body is all hard lines and muscles (and several curves) but her face is all soft and round. Her cheeks are plush and chubby, her nose rounded and flat. Yang's got a baby-face, despite her abs of steel. A gentle wind blows and Yang's blonde curls float around her face and Blake watches.

Suddenly, Yang blinks her violet eyes open and sits up. "Hey - you ever played Two Truths and a Lie?" At Blake's head shake, Yang goes on, "Well usually you tell three facts about yourself. Only one of them is a lie and the other two are true. Then other players guess which one was the lie. But for us, I think we can go back and forth and ask three questions each, to get to know each other. Then we'll answer them. But one will be a lie. And no guessing which was the lie at the end either."

"And how will lying about ourselves help us get to know each other?" Blake frowns.

"Well, some of us like to retain an air of mystery," Yang smirks, "And I thought that'd give you some discretion you'd prefer. I don't plan on asking impersonal questions, not at least for the game, and I don't want you to pull any punches with your questions either. Lets go all out and get to know each other, you know?"

Blake agrees with a sigh, she can't imagine the questions will be too personal. Maybe just some embarrassing memories.

"You can ask the first question, if you like," Yang nudges. Blake stares at her searchingly, takes in Yang's sun-kissed cheeks, her bright, earnest eyes. She remembers Yang's rough and callused hands setting her on the table, a noble sacrifice to be sure. Blake can only see a sliver of tattoo ink peeking beneath Yang's top, but she's seen more of it in Yang's more midriff-baring outfits in class. From what Blake can tell from past glimpses, its a large dragon that starts somewhere on Yang's shoulder or collarbones and curls down her chest to her torso and lower back.

"What's the story behind your tattoo?"

Surprise flickers on Yang's face for only a moment. "What makes you think there's a story?"

Blake shrugs, glancing at a laughing family passes their table with a stroller. "Dunno," Blake lies. Blake knows more than she'll ever say about Yang Xiao Long; Blake's left that life behind. None of it matters anymore. "Is there?"

Yang hesitates for a long moment. They turn as one of the children in the family that passed them trips and starts bawling. The mother picks him up, peppering kisses on his head. The father keeps going with the stroller and the rest of the kids. Blake watches Yang watch the family until they've almost gone out of sight.

"Well, yeah. I guess," Yang acquiesces finally. Then nodding as though making a huge decision, Yang hops of the bench. Yang pulls Blake over to the bathrooms back by the park's entrance. "It'll make more sense if I just show you my tattoos first." Blake lets Yang lead her by the hand, even if its unnecessary. Blake cannot deny she isn't more curious now than when she'd asked the question.

Yang swears once they get there though. While the bathroom's are private enough for whatever Yang wants to do, they are dimly lit. Blake can't see the color of Yang's eyes, much less the details of her tattoo.

"Why don't we go down one of the trails, see if we can't find somewhere bright and secluded enough to duck into?" Blake suggests.

Yang frowns, glancing down. "I dunno – I mean, my boots will be fine, but you've got heels on."

"We don't have to go far." Blake answers patiently.

They head down one of the longer trails after a quick glance at the park map, this time Blake in the lead. She can't deny that she isn't intrigued in whatever Yang is going to show her.

It hasn't rained anytime recently, so Blake's heels don't sink in any mud, but she understands Yang's reluctance to go down them with her. Rocks and pebbles keep slipping beneath her heels and Blake almost slips several times.

"So," Yang says, "For starters, I don't have just one tattoo – I've got three. But the two that I'm sure you're asking about, I got for the same reason. Mostly." At Blake's inquiring look, Yang continues, "I'll tell you about them in a minute. But the one on my wrist..." Yang says, already taking off her bracelets and fingerless gloves from her left wrist.

Underneath is a bloomed red rose, on the inside of Yang's wrist. Blake had noticed that one as well, but Yang is right – it wasn't the one she'd been asking about.

"Its for my little sister – Ruby." Yang says, bringing her arm back to look at it herself. "Her last name's Rose and well – you'll see when you meet Ruby. Red is her color. She's the light of my life," Yang says with a soft smile. "When she isn't with me, all I have to do is look at this. And then I can stop myself before I make any bad decisions or doing anything she wouldn't be proud of… or make her worry." Yang presses a gentle kiss to the inside of her wrist, before slipping her glove back over it.

"Doesn't covering it up with your glove kinda defeat the purpose?" Blake asks dryly.

Yang lets out a startled laugh. "Damn, you're right." Yang tilts her head towards Blake, smiling brightly, "Good thing I'm not planning on making any bad decisions today."

Blake lets out a noncommittal hum, before pointing out an overgrown path. They walk down it a ways – just enough they can't see the main trail or be seen from it. The ground is blanketed in dried, fallen leaves that crunch beneath their feet. While the trees keep them well-shaded from the sun, it is bright enough to see. In the distance, Blake can hear a stream rushing.

"So, um." Yang's fingers flutter nervously at the fastenings of her bolero. "It's not gonna be, like, a major insult or taboo if I'm in my bra in front of you right?"

Rolling her eyes, Blake leans against a tree. "I'm not the one getting undressed. Not to mention, I grew up in a country that believes sex sells and there is no escape from it. Besides, I'm Muslim, but as I'm sure you know because I know I mentioned it class – I'm bi. I'm not exactly traditional or conservative."

"Well, okay then." Yang says, shrugging and stripping off all her layers. Finally Yang stands before her, with only a thick strapped but lacy black bra on. Blake sees she was just a little wrong – it is a phoenix on Yang's chest. The wings and tail expanding over her right shoulder and down her right bicep. Wrapped around her torso and lower back is the dragon. The tattoos are similarly inked, so Blake supposes they are by the same tattoo artist. Perhaps even done at the same time, but Blake doesn't know much about tattoos to say.

She nods in appreciation for the artistry, though, because Blake knows they look good on Yang. Yang smiles, pleased, but only for a moment. Her smile drops and she looks tentative, biting her lower lip as her hands rub at the phoenix on her chest.

"They don't have that much meaning beyond my mom sometimes comparing me to a phoenix and my name translates to 'Little Sun Dragon.' The tattoos themselves probably could have been anything, as long as... Though I guess, the dragon makes me feel stronger and the phoenix like I can start over again. And cultural Chinese things, blah blah blah." Yang shrugs and if Blake didn't think she had Yang's personality pinned to know better, she might have described Yang's shrug as self-deprecating.

"Are you okay?" Blake frowns.

"Yeah, I just – um. So." Yang says. "The story! So, the thing is. I have this ex-girlfriend."

"Uh-huh," Blake responds, dubious. She frowns harder as she notices a tremor in Yang's hand that is still tracing a spot on her chest. "Seriously, are you okay Yang? I'm sorry for bringing this up – if its upsetting you, -"

"No! No, I'm fine. I'm just. I've never told anyone this, I don't even think anyone 'sides my old… friends know about it. Not even Ruby. I don't even think my uncle knows, and he figures out everything eventually usually." Yang's voice is slightly quavery and Blake shifts a little nervous. She hadn't expected the tattoo to be this big of a deal to Yang. "I'm not sure where to start… Here, can I?" Yang asks, hands taking Blake's before peering anxiously in question at Blake.

Blake nods, stepping closer and Yang draws her in closer still. Yang's body is warm as Yang takes Blake's fingers to touch the same spot Yang had been rubbing at before. Blake frowns, as her fingers meet uneven skin and strokes her thumb along a ridge of what she is realizing is a scar. Blake doesn't look to see if it isn't more obvious now that she knows.

"So, um, Neo kinda stabbed me – more than once actually. Sometimes because I did something wrong, sometimes just to be mean." Yang says, and Blake's eyes widen in baffled horror. "Neo, that's my ex." Yang amends, but Blake had sort of figured that out for herself given the segue. Yang fingers lead hers over to her shoulder and bicep to trace over two more scars that Blake can now identify as stab wound scars. "Um, I guess she was… abusive." Yang licks her lips, eyes flickering nervously. Blake's stomach twists. Yang's fingers are still guiding her own along the expanse of Yang's skin.

"Here too," Yang mumbles, taking her other hand to touch another scar from being stabbed as well as several that feel more like vicious but deliberate slices were cut. Finally Yang leads her hands to the small of her back. The skin feels odd, smooth in some parts and bumpy in others. "Dunno if you can feel that one, but that was a pretty bad burn from a clothes iron. I can't remember what I did wrong, but after struggling with her for a while, I just let her do it. Ironically, it was always less painful to just let her have her way."

Blake nods - to indicate she'd heard and was listening or to say that she could feel the scar Blake wasn't certain.

"I'm telling you this all wrong," Yang chuckles wryly. She lets go of Blake and rubs at her neck with one of her freed hands. Blake pulls away after a moment, returning to the tree she was leaning on before if only to have the support. Her heart hammers in her chest. Yang doesn't move to pull her shirt back on. "But I want to tell you about it. If that's cool?"

Blake can only nod. She only hopes that she looks supportive and not queasy.

"I started dating Neo, like, almost three years ago. I was in a bad place, back then – before I even started dating her. Like, really bad. I was only just starting to get into a better place, when I started dating Neo and well..." Yang sits herself on the ground, idly picking at the leaves. She still hasn't put any of her tops back on. "Anyway, it started out like any other relationship. I started crashing at her place, but mostly because I didn't have anywhere else to stay at the time. She is a petite little thing – her head comes to my collarbones and that was when she was in heels and I was barefoot. You'd never imagine how strong and innovative she could be to hurt people, just by looking at her.

"We dated for… a year, I think." Yang stops and glances at her hands and starts contemplatively counting off her fingers to herself. Just as Blake thinks Yang might take off her shoes and count off her toes as well, Yang goes on – "Eleven months then. It was awful for most of it, but at the time I didn't really have a lot of options. My only friends at the time were her friends first and I couldn't contact my family, too embarrassed. I'm not even sure I loved her – I know for certain she never loved me."

Yang frowns, crunching leaves with her hands – anxiously, Blake thinks. "Actually, to be honest," Yang says, "I don't even think she liked me much – or even at all. Not that she really likes anyone much, but I'm pretty sure she was disgusted with me – for what I let her do to me."

"You didn't let her do anything," Blake starts sharply, voice breaking. "She chose to hurt you, you didn't do anything wrong." This Neo is the disgusting one, Blake doesn't say.

Yang laughs, startled, "Oh, but I did." At Blake's stumble to disagree, to say that Yang can't have done anything to deserve being stabbed and burned and cut and hurt however else, Yang continues, "But… thanks. I appreciate it. Your concern. It's nice.

"I was just a toy to her, really, though. I know that now." Yang breaths and Blake aches for her and herself. "Neo's a very cruel person, she enjoys hurting people. Revels in it, though I was kinda dumb to it then. Actually, though, her favorite kind of pain to inflict never left a mark."

Yang hesitates for a long moment, her hands and shoulders shake and she isn't looking at Blake. Blake had never realized how much Yang looked at her until now, with Yang furtively not looking at Blake. A breeze blows and Blake shivers, hugging herself for warmth. She cannot imagine how cold Yang must feel even though Yang had felt so very warm when Blake had touched her. For a moment, Blake reaches out a hand to – to offer comfort, or warmth or anything she could to help but Blake stops herself before Yang can even sense her movement.

"Once I spilled hot coffee on her and she pulled me into the bathroom by my hair and used the shower hose to spray me down with freezing water. Then she shoved me out on the balcony and made me to sleep the night there." Blake shuts her eyes, unable to bare looking at Yang, with a low hiss. "It was late autumn at the time… I thought about just jumping down or over to the balcony next door, but that would have just gotten me in more trouble. So I slept there for the night. I woke up with a fever and when Neo let me back in, she took a day off of work to stay and help me get better. I was grateful."

Yang stops talking and Blake doesn't break the silence. After a while, she opens her eyes and looks at Yang, who stares back at her anxiously.

"I'm a mess, Blake," Yang's voice breaks, but she clears her throat and her voice comes out stronger, "I really do like you – like really _really_ like you. But I understand if all this was a bit much. I'd like to still be your friend though. If possible."

"No – I, um," hurt flashes on Yang face before being carefully shielded, "No, no – I don't mean it like that. I like you too. What happened to you isn't too much – I'd like to be your friend too. You make me feel… cared for. Which I haven't felt in a long time. And I want to care for you too, and help you. Because you're a good person, Yang. And while I don't know the whole story about Neo, I know nothing you might have done would've made you deserve any of what she did to you."

Yang smiles, weak but honest. "Thanks, that… means more to me than I hope you ever know."

Blake returns Yang's weak smile with one of her. "No, I was just thinking… I've been wallowing in self-pity, about how rough things were with Adam that –," Blake stops dead. She's always been aware when Adam was on her mind. Adam was an agonizing sore that Blake was always aware of, impossible to ignore. The pain always sharpened whenever she consciously thought of him. Yet somehow, with Yang, his name came out of her mouth unbidden. And the thought of him still ached, but the warmth of Yang so close to her and Yang's trust in her made it dull.

Then guilt sank in the pit of Blake's stomach. How horrible was Blake, feeling sorry for herself, comparing what Adam did to her to what Yang had just told her. Adam had never laid a hand on her, never even raised his voice. He'd been stiff, inflexible but he'd only tried to mold Blake into what he wanted. Blake had only been too sensitive to be who he asked. It was nothing to feel sorry for herself over, nothing compared to what Yang had gone through. It was shameful to even compare her experience to Yang's.

"Blake? You okay?" Blake hears Yang distantly. Blake blinks and focuses on Yang. Yang has gotten off the ground and come over to Blake when she hadn't been paying attention. Yang's are eyebrows raised in concern, her eyes open and reflective. Its stupid of Blake, to make Yang so concerned over her – after what Yang had just shared with her. Yang's a good and kind person. And so strong, to be so good and kind as well as cheerful and warm and caring after everything that her ex-girlfriend did to her. Blake is nothing like her, she's weak and a coward and she runs away from all her problems instead of dealing with them.

Even now Blake wants to run away from Yang and her concern – Blake doesn't deserve that much. She doesn't.

"I'm fine, sorry. Just… forget what I just said. Its nothing."

But Blake won't run away, not this time – not from Yang. If she is going to make herself stop running, she might as well start with staying with someone that makes her feel the way that Yang does.

Yang nods, not convinced but listening. She's still in her bra and as Blake glances down and laughter bursts out of her.

"Wait what?" Yang blinks in confusion, "What's so funny now?"

"Your socks," Blake snorts, still laughing. "Just look – you look ridiculous!"

Yang frowns and looks at her legs and then squawks in horror. "No! My favorite thigh-highs!" Stuck to Yang's stockings are dried leaves, both whole and crushed from Yang's crumbling of the leaves. Yang begins to frantically start swiping leaves off her legs. After a moment, Blake squats and joins in, helping her pick off the leaves and even a couple burrs. Blake hasn't stopped laughing, even with Yang giving her pathetic puppy-dog eyes.

Yang turns the tables though, when Blake mindlessly slaps off some leaves from the back of Yang's shorts.

"Blake!" Yang giggles, "How forward of you."

Blake flusters and returns to only picking leaves off Yang's legs until finally Blake frowns.

"Yang, I just don't think you're going to be able to get them all off – not without a good wash at least." Blake says, standing up and wiping excess leaves off her hand.

"Nooo," Yang groans, "I can't go on a date with you with leaf-legs!"

"Just take your stockings off." Blake advises but Yang freezes. Blake supposes it is a bit too chilly for that, even if Yang doesn't look too cold in just her bra. Blake's got goose-pimples just look at her.

"Um," Yang says, a bit timid and that worries Blake. "I kind of have scars on my legs which I haven't tattooed over yet."

"Oh." Blake says. She had thought that Yang had worn shorts and skirts with thigh-highs a lot for summer. She hadn't made the connection after what Yang had just told her though. Blake could suggest Yang clean them off in the sink of the bathroom they'd just been at, but then she'd have to wear wet tights. "Oh!" Blake says again, searching around in her fanny pack. She hadn't taken out the tights she usually packed just in case her tights had a run in them. "Here – I've got tights, put them on. They'll even match your necklace and kerchief!"

Yang looks relieved. "Oh, thank you Blake!" She takes them from Blake. "Wow these are cute!"

Blake grins, happy enough that Yang isn't upset. "Why don't we go back to the bathrooms and you can change there, yeah?"

Yang nods with a brilliant smile.

"Put your shirt back on though," Blake reminds. "Aren't you cold?"

Yang blinks and then laughs, "Not really, but I guess I shouldn't give everyone a show." She puts her shirts back on after shaking off stray leaves. Luckily the leaves haven't adhered too much to her tops. Yang bows just after fastening her jacket back ups, sweeping her arms for Blake to go first. "After you, m'lady."

"Ugh," Blake says, wrinkling her nose. "Stop or I'll have to get you a fedora."

"I do like Doritos," Yang teases and Blake mimes barfing. "So, um. It's my turn to ask a question, yeah?"

Blake nods, "Sure, go ahead."

"Sorry," Yang starts and she does look sorry. "I know you said to forget about it, so I understand if you don't even want this to count as a question but… is Adam your ex or… are you still dating him?"

Adam's name is like ice in Blake's veins. It feels wrong to hear his name in Yang's mouth, even if it had had been Blake's own blabbering that put the name in Yang's ear. Something so good to Blake shouldn't even know Adam's name.

"No… no, it's fine," It isn't, but Blake can't refuse to tell Yang, not after all the trust that Yang'd put into her. Blake had only just decided to stop running away from things, this was just her first test. "Er, hold." Blake says as she stumbles back onto the main trail. She can't remember which way they started from.

"This way," Yang smiles cheerily. "You're kinda bad with directions, aren't you?" Blake sighs as she follows after Yang. She isn't, she just didn't know where they were going the first time and now she's just… discombobulated by the thought of Adam. Blake isn't going to say that, she'd rather just let Yang be mistaken about her sense of direction.

"So, Adam and I," Blake says as she catches back up to Yang, "He's my ex." Yang looks just a tad relieved, but then they walk in silence for a while. Blake has to tell Yang more than that, after how much Yang had told her so Blake takes a long breath.

"It wasn't an easy relationship." Blake says. That isn't a lie. "He was very controlling."

Yang is doing her concerned face again and Blake feels stupid for making Yang look like that, look at her with those reflective, sympathetic eyes that shone like mirrors at Blake. Yang puts a comforting hand on the small of Blake's back and it only makes Blake feel worse.

"It was nothing like Neo did to you," Blake tries to say convincingly. "He was just… you know. The usual possessive boy thing." If Blake was honest, thinking back she couldn't pinpoint what exactly about Adam was controlling. Blake had just been overly sensitive and too emotional, probably. It was silly of her to dwell on Adam all of the time. The five years she'd spent dating Adam had been some of the best times of her life. Blake isn't going to say any of that. Not saying it isn't a lie, right?

Yang sighs in sympathy all the same, "That still really sucks and I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Yang had been honest to her – Blake knew without a doubt, everything Yang had just told her was true. There was no way it wasn't, not with the pain in Yang's voice talking about it. Blake wasn't lying, but she wasn't tell the truth – far from it. She just didn't want Yang to be nice to her about Adam. But this was a game they were playing, wasn't it? A game with two truths and one lie. This one would just be her lie, even if it made Blake guilty to return Yang's honesty with a lie. But that was only the way the game was. Blake would just have to be honest the rest of the game. Blake could do that.

"Me too," Blake mumbles.

"Boys suck." Yang says, "I'm a lesbian, but I was in the closet in high school. And I know boys really suck. I'm glad I never have to date a boy again. Girls are so much better."

Blake grins. "Boys do suck."

Yang beams. They've made it back to the bathrooms and Blake dives to open the door first, so Yang doesn't keep doing all the cute, chivalrous gestures for her. Yang beams more and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks, Blake."

Blake follows Yang into the bathroom and listens to Yang babble as she changes into the tights in one of the toilets. Blake makes certain to not let her eyes stray to Yang's stall - just in case the scars on Yang's legs are visible underneath the stall.

"So, um what about that blond guy you always hang out with?" Yang calls over the stall.

"What?" Blake says, "Oh. Sun. What about him?"

"UM," Yang says loudly. "He isn't like. Your current boyfriend or anything is he?"

"Ew, he's like my brother." Blake laughs. Sun is a good friend, one of the few she'd managed to get back after she'd run out on Adam. "Besides, I wouldn't be out on a date with you if I was dating someone else."

Yang lets out a happy squeak. While Blake cannot see her, she's pretty sure Yang is fist pumping from the rustling of her jacket. Blake's heart thumps in her chest.

"Yikes," Yang says. "Sorry, Blake. You're going to have to tell me where you bought these tights, because I think I'm going to stretch them out."

"That's fine," Blake says. Yang's taller than Blake, so her legs are probably longer. It doesn't surprise her that her tights are a bit, well, tight on Yang, even if Blake has bigger thighs. "They don't hurt right?"

"Nah." Yang comes out of the stall after pulling her boots back on. "But, these are some cute tights. Even if you don't need me to buy you a new pair, I wanna buy some like these."

Blake smiles. Yang's wearing her black and purple ombre pair. They do look nice with her outfit, like Blake thought they would, the purple similar to the kerchief hanging at Yang's waist. "Sure, I'll email the site I got them from to you later. But seriously, I can only wear tights under my long skirts, so its not like it matters how my tights look. So it's fine."

"But you still got yourself a cute pair, even if you get to be the only one to see them." Yang says, opening the door for Blake wordlessly. "Ooh, maybe I'll get us a matching pair!"

Blake shakes her head, fond. It is hard to believe only an hour ago she was trying hard not to crush on Yang, because she feels like she's falling head over heels already. Blake never thought she'd ever be able to do that again, but she feels like she can truly trust Yang. Blake isn't even panicking over this new development for once, just reveling in it.

"So where to now?" Blake asks.

"Hm," Yang says just as a song that Blake doesn't recognize plays from Yang's pocket. Blake waits expectantly, but Yang doesn't even look at her scroll and waves it off. "That's my ringtone for my friend Weiss – whatever she's calling about can wait. Probably. Don't worry about it. Anyway, I was thinking – unless you're not into it – there's this street market that I go to every other week or so. They've got all kinds of stuff and we can get some food."

"Sure, that sounds fine." Blake shrugs, then frowns. "Wait, downtown?"

"Yeah – too far by foot is the thing. So either we take my bike or the bus." Yang says, sheepish. Blake considers for a moment – riding with Yang on her motorcycle isn't as unappealing as it was just a short while ago. It even sounds a little fun, but then Yang says, "Why don't we just take the bus. That way we can keep talking and playing our game." She smiles, pink cheeks and crinkled, freckled nose and clear eyes. Blake's heart melts. Blake nods and Yang starts jogging off in direction of the park's entrance. Blake falls into step behind her.

"Surprised you don't want to try and get me to hold onto you on your motorcycle," Blake teases.

"Something tells me I'll get the chance to do that another time."

"Getting a little overconfident there, Yang?"

Yang stops for a moment, then reaches out her hand, waiting. Blake only hesitates a moment, before putting her hand in Yang's. Yang smiles, pleased, and they walk hand in hand for a while before Yang says, "I like my chances."

'I like your chances too,' Blake thinks.

"And the bus stop should be just..." Yang says as they round the corner out of the park. "Yep, there it is." She nods her head to a glass sheltered bus stop just a few feet away. They step inside it just to glance at the schedule to find the next bus will be in ten minutes but the shelter stinks of cigarette smoke. They step outside it to wait for the bus, their hands still clasped together. Without the trees to break the chilly autumn winds, it feels colder. Blake braces herself against a particularly strong gust. Yang draws in closer, their shoulders touching. She is warm.

"My turn isn't it? To ask a question, for your game," Blake remembers. Yang hums in recognition, tilting her head to Blake and waiting. The wind blows Yang's curls into Blake face for just a moment. Her hair smells like shampoo. Yang's free hand comes to brush her hair back and Blake can see the edges of her rose tattoo on her wrist.

"What kinds of bad decisions have you made," Blake asks lightly, "That you need a tattoo to remind you of your sister?"

It takes a moment, but Yang's face freezes, then goes blank. Blake drops her hand away from Yang's, rubbing her palms on her pant leg. The bus comes into view down the street. They both dig out their wallets for their bus passes, a strange silence blanketing them.

When the bus opens its doors for them, Yang steps back for Blake to go ahead of her and Blake steps into the bus first. She swipes her pass and heads straight away to the back of the bus. There is only a couple of older men and women on their way to work for second-shift, but otherwise it is mostly empty. Blake sits by the window as the bus starts moving again and she watches as Patch Arboretum passes them by.

She hadn't meant to ask another probing question of Yang. Blake had only hoped for a funny anecdote.

"Sorry," they both say at the same time when Yang drops down in the seat next to her.

"I didn't mean to ask you another personal question like that," Blake says, but Yang assures her with a smile that its fine.

"I just have to figure out where to start again… Well I guess when I was eleven… something happened that is another question entirely, that you'll have to ask about after if you want." At Blake's frown, Yang chuckles.

"Anyway, other stuff happened." Yang ignores Blake's eye-roll, but Blake senses she is being invited to ask about it for her final question. "And eventually I kind of… spiraled and fell into a bad way. I got… violent. I mean I guess I've always had an explosive temper – but I started using my fists to fix all of my problems. And for a while, not even Ruby could keep me calm. I knew I was scaring the shit out of her, so that's when I ran away from home – trying to spare her at least looking at what I was turning into. I started drinking heavily, to try and forget why I was angry, to try and control myself. But the alcohol just made me even less inhibited, more violent.

"I was seventeen and did a lot of bad stuff. I hurt people. Badly. I beat them up and I enjoyed it. I could say that they all deserved it, but I'm not even sure what set me off half the time." Blake stares at her in horror. This isn't like the Yang she thought she knew and trusted or even the Yang that had told her about Neo with trembling hands and misty eyes. This Yang is staring flatly out the window, on the side that Blake isn't sitting on, staring stonily into the horizon. Something about Yang in that moment reminds her of Adam. "I was just fighting for the thrill of it, because I was stronger than them.

"And then I started setting fires to vacant houses. It wasn't really about power or the rush – though there was that. I think I just wanted wanted to watch the world burn." Yang suddenly turns back to Blake, some emotion that Blake can't place dancing in her eyes. Blake can't imagine what her face looks like, but Yang breaks out into loud, raucous laughter. "Sorry, but," Yang laughed more, "You should see your face Blake,"

"What," Blake frowns, before realizing, "You!" She shoves at Yang's shoulder and Yang cackles harder, slumping over into the seat next to her. The bus driver shouts for them to stop, the few others on the bus giving them dirty looks. Quieter this time, Blake says, "You jerk, that was all a lie!"

Yang falls into more hysterics and Blake can see the bus driver's glare from his mirror. "Shh," Blake hisses, "You're going to get us kicked off!" Yang covers her mouth with her hands to stifle herself, but she's still noisy, so Blake claps her hands over Yang's mouth as well. "Be quiet," Blake orders with as much authority as she can muster.

Yang does, though she goes pink. Blake doesn't understand why Yang likes her so much, why Yang is giving her this much power over her. Its a bit scary, having someone trust her so much. It sends a shiver down Blake's spine and Yang's eyes gleam back up at her. Realizing their position, Blake half-way on top of Yang, Blake jumps away. Her hands burn where she'd been touching Yang.

Yang sits up slowly, then after glancing out the window, Yang scrambles to pull the cord "Shit, we're missing our stop!" The bus stops sharply, jolting Blake in her seat and Yang nearly tumbling to the ground, a couple feet passed the bus stop. The driver's eyes scowl at them from his mirror and they exit from the rear doors. The bus pulls away quickly as though to make sure they didn't try and find their way back on. Blake gives Yang another shove but not even hard enough to move Yang.

"You jerk," Blake grouches. "I cannot believe I believed you for a second."

Yang grins rakishly. "Okay, but seriously. Your face was hilarious."

Blake can't even find it in herself to be properly mad about it, she's mostly just relieved. Yang's kind of like a Golden Retriever, Blake thinks, and even though Blake hates dogs – she doesn't hate Yang. As much as she knows that she can't judge people by appearance – Adam and even herself were proof of that – its hard to imagine Yang causing more harm than forgetting her own size and strength when coming in for a hug, much less anything more malicious. Yang had proved to have be hot-tempered at times in class, but it was stupid of her to think for even a second that Yang would enjoy hurting people. Stupid to even think for a moment that Yang was like Adam.

"I ought to have known," Blake groans, "You're a hothead, but not ruthless. Honestly though, I thought you weren't going to tell me which was the lie, because – and I quote – you wanted to be mysterious."

Yang sighs for a moment, eyes shining. "I guess I just don't want to lie to you Blake."

Blake can only shake her head in fondness.

"So which way is this market?"

"This way," Yang says, starting off in one direction. Blake's been following after Yang a lot today, but she follows her again, just as the same song from earlier comes from Yang's pocket. This time Yang sighs and takes out her scroll, still walking. "One moment, sorry."

Yang doesn't answer the call, but she sends a text instead. Blake can't see what she writes, but when Yang puts her scroll away Yang tells her, "Sorry, again – I just told her I can't talk right now. I'll call her later, its probably just about work."

"If its about work, shouldn't you answer it then?" Blake frowns, "If its work calling, its probably important."

Yang shrugs, "Probably, but that doesn't mean I can't take care of it later. Trust me, it can wait."

Blake hums in assent, before asking, "What's that song that you've got for a ringtone? Its pretty."

With a broad smile, Yang says, "I dunno actually, but that's Weiss singing actually. She'd die of embarrassment if she ever knew I use it as my ringtone for her. She's a great singer – her family is stinking rich though and she got voice lessons as a kid so there's that too. But she's even better live, so when you meet her I'll have to trick her into singing for you." They round a corner and ahead is a building with people milling in and out. "And here we are!"

Their hands naturally find each other's, as they join the crowd and head inside, so they don't lose each other. It is pretty loud and while there is a lot of people, Blake is surprised that it isn't too crowded. "Hungry?" Yang asks. "Because if you are, I kind of want to start out with food."

Blake nods along, because while she isn't hungry, she isn't not hungry either. She can only hope there are vegetarian options for her, but as they navigate over to the food stalls, Blake is pleasantly surprised. There's vegetarian and vegan options and, best of all, a vendor that promises all their food is halal. Recognizing Tukson behind the stall, Blake knows where she is getting her food. Smiling kindly at Blake from across the way, Tukson inclines his head towards her. The food might be Turkish, which Blake isn't, but she's eager to try it. She parts ways from Yang, who says she's been dying for nasi goreng. They'll meet up once they've got their food.

"Salaam alaikum," Tukson greets her.

"Wa 'alaikum salaam," Blake responds. "I didn't know you worked here as well as your bookshop."

"My wife," Tukson explains, "This is her shop, but I help when I can."

Blake nods and looks over her choices. Tukson advices her and she decides on something called manti and baklava for dessert. She is not entirely sure what the manti is, but it ends up being some sort of meat-stuffed dumplings in mint, garlic yoghurt sauce. It smells good and she eagerly takes her tray to find Yang after thanking him and saying goodbye to Tukson, promising to come by his shop soon.

Its a bit harder to navigate through the crowd, Blake finds, without Yang to help shove her way through. Though it might also be because its more crowded where all the food stalls are. She finds Yang just as Yang receives her food.

"There you are," Blake says. Yang turns and grins.

"Just in time then," Yang says, peering at her tray, "Nice, you got dessert and I got us drinks. Come on, lets go see if we can find a place to sit."

After a while they decide its too crowded, even if there is some empty tables. They duck back outside to sit by a tree on a brick retaining wall. Its a bit chilly and they have to tuck their napkins under their drinks so they don't fly away, but at least they can hear each other.

"Sorry," Yang says guiltily, after Blake urges her to try her manti, "I forgot to ask if the shrimp in this is halal. I don't think it is."

Blake shrugs her off, "Just try it."

"I meant to pay for your meal too," Yang pouts, but relents. "Hey that's good – that place must be new, I haven't seen them before."

"You come here often?" Blake asks.

"Yeah, I think maybe twice a month, on the weekends?" Yang answers. "There is a lot of great food and stuff, though they don't have any authentic Chinese food there yet. Just the usual white person like, using a splash of soy sauce and calling it Chinese or Asian."

"Yeesh," Blake laughs, "What've you got there then? It looks like fried rice."

"Nasi goreng," Yang answers, "Indonesian fried rice, far as I know. I've only had Indonesian here, so I dunno how authentic it is to be honest." Yang wipes her face with a napkin as she crunches nosily on prawn crackers. "I'll have to cook you real Chinese food once, y'know if um… We ever do this again."

Blake smiles and nods. "You cook?"

"Sometimes – I'm more of a baker to be honest," Yang pauses to chew on a shrimp. "I'll have to bake for you too – Ruby practically lives off my chocolate chip cookies."

'I'm going to gain weight, being friends with Yang,' Blake thinks.

"Can I ask you a question?" Blake asks, "For your game I mean?"

Yang grins, "Sure, but you just went so its my turn first."

Pausing mid-chew, Blake nods and steels herself to tell the truth. No matter what.

"Hm, hold on." Yang says, chewing thoughtfully for a moment. Blake doesn't move, just waits and watches as Yang finally swallows. "Okay, how about your biggest regret?"

"Oh, um," Blake starts. To her credit she didn't even visibly wince, even while everything within her was reeling. Blake blinks several times, trying to get rid of the image of Adam and her mental image of all the people they'd hurt together from her mind.

It didn't matter how much she tried to ignore them – the memories. No matter how far she tried to run away from what she'd done. They kept emerging from the recesses of her mind.

How did Yang keep knowing the questions to ask, the ones that Blake wanted to bury behind her? Except, Blake seemed to be doing that to Yang too. Even if Yang hadn't been honest with the second question, she'd been honest enough to say that she hadn't been. Unlike Blake. And whatever Yang hadn't wanted to share with Blake, well, it couldn't be a nice memory.

"Blake," Yang interrupts Blake's thoughts. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Blake rasps and takes a sip of soda to distract herself. "Just thinking about your question, sorry."

Setting her soda down Blake continues eating, trying to pretend she is unaffected by the question. If Yang isn't fooled, she doesn't say anything and Blake appreciates that.

"So, Sun – the blond guy I told you about earlier?" Blake starts and Yang nods.

"Yeah, the one that's like your brother, right?"

"Mhm," Blake replies, trying to focus on eating and on talking casually with Yang like nothing is wrong. "I've actually known him since middle school – he was my best friend back then.

"Except, in high school… I started hanging out with Adam and his friends instead. And Adam didn't care for Sun or any of my old friends. So I just… stopped hanging out with them." Blake swallows a lump in her throat that isn't just food. Yang isn't saying anything, she isn't even eating. Yang's just listening to her talk. "Sun, especially, I kind of left him high and dry with everything he was going through. And I knew it too, but back then… I cared more about Adam. So every time Sun tried to approach me, I'd reproach or ignore him. Sun eventually dropped out of high school and I just know if I hadn't left him alone like I did, he wouldn't have.

"It was a surprised when I started at Signal and saw him here, after getting his GED. Even more surprising that he actually wanted to reconcile with me. I'm lucky he forgave me the way he has, because I don't deserve it." Blake finishes her manti, carefully setting her plate on the tray and setting her soda can on top so it didn't get carried away by the breeze. "I still regret how I treated Sun back then, even now. Especially for everything he did for me in middle school. He didn't deserve the way I treated him."

Yang places a reassuring hand over Blake's for just a moment.

None of what Blake told Yang was a lie. She hadn't left anything relevant out except for what was Sun's story to tell.

It was just nothing of what Blake had just said was the answer to Yang's question.

Blake had done much worse things that she regretted, things that kept her up at night. She didn't even want to acknowledge what awful things she'd done in the past to herself, she couldn't bare for Yang to know.

Sun was lucky that Adam had never turned his eyes to him as a target.

"I don't know what the history behind you and Sun, so I'm not going to say whether or not you deserve forgiveness or not or anything like that," Yang says softly and Blake is grateful. It'd only make her feel worse, for Yang to say that. She didn't deserve the tender warmth that Yang keeps offering, unaware of all the bad that Blake's done. "But I know I'm lucky to have you here, with me, right now. So… thanks for telling me all that." Yang's eyes turn up as she smiles at Blake.

Blake had just lied to Yang again. She was officially cheating at this game and the guilt weighed heavy in the pit of her stomach.

"I'm lucky to be here with you too," she mumbles, taking another sip of her soda. It is her favorite flavor. Yang must have been noticed that Blake almost always carried a bottle of it with her to class as an after-class treat.

Yang jumps to catch her plate before the wind takes it. The sun dapples from the tree above them, the necklace around Yang's neck gleaming brightly. "Good catch," Blake compliments weakly.

Yang laughs before catching Blake's eye. "Checking out my goods?" Yang grins, cheekily – pleased at the idea, most likely.

"No, just looking at your necklace," Blake answers honestly. "It's pretty – and it matches your eyes."

Yang doesn't seem too disappointed though. Her smile changes from impish to gentle – as though remembering something happy.

"It's an amethyst – my mama got it for me for tenth birthday. It's my birthstone." Yang swallows and licks her lips, corners of her mouth twitching before smiling broadly. "February 10th – that's my birthday. When's yours?"

"October 2nd."

"Mm, October's opal, I think. Pretty, with all the different colors. Suits you." Then, nudging Blake with her elbow, Yang continues excited, fingertips fluttering, "Hey, that makes you a Libra! I'm an Aquarius, and that makes us compatible."

Blake gives Yang a doubtful look. "You don't look like you'd buy into that birth rocks and horoscope stuff but you sure seem to know a lot about it. Talk like it too."

Yang starts shoveling the rest of her fried rice, talking between chews, "Oi, don't knock it. 'Sides its not me that's interested in it – Ruby is. I just listen."

"Uh-huh, well I don't buy into that kind of… mumbo-jumbo stuff." Blake watches dubiously as Yang finishes most of her food in less than a minute.

"Yeah, well. Ruby likes it," Yang says, firm and defensive. Yang finally finishes her rice and smacking her lips, wiping grease away from her face. Blake gets the idea that while Yang doesn't mind being teased herself – perhaps even enjoys it, Yang'll defend her sister's interests, even if this Ruby isn't there to be offended.

"Well, so long as you stop using corny pick-up lines like, 'our signs are compatible,' I don't mind," Blake sighs, though grinning.

Yang smiles slowly, "Aw, that's cute that you think that was a pick up line."

Rolling her eyes, Blake nudges the plate of baklava. "You'll help me polish this off, won't you?"

Yang laughs, already eagerly wiping her spoon from her rice off with one of their last napkins until Blake offers her the extra fork she'd grabbed. "You don't even have to ask," Yang says, accepting the fork.

The cake had already been cut into two small pieces, so they don't have to bother halving it. Yang takes a bite of hers, flakes spraying down her front. She frowns as she starts brushing crumbles off her chest as they start flaking right down her bra. Finally, Yang gives up, "Wow, that's going to be a fun mess to clean up later...Whats this called again?"

"Baklava," Blake chokes out, coughing on her second bite. The crumbs that fall off are easily shaken off her hijab.

"Hm, its good." Yang finishes her cake with her fingers and returns to getting scraping crumbs out of her bra. "I'll definitely get lunch there, next time I'm here."

"You should. I know the guy who works there. He's a good guy." Blake waits a moment before asking "Isn't it my turn to ask you a question – my last question, actually?"

Yang shrugs, then frowns. "Yeah, no wait." Yang fumbles for her scroll. "Crap, you'll have to wait. The market won't be shutting down until five but all the good stuff will be gone soon. So let's shop first."

Blake shrugs and finishes the last of her cake. "Let's go then," she says as she gathers the last of their trash on their trays.

They toss out their trash and rejoin the throngs of people milling about. Yang's hand finding Blake's again.

"So we don't lose each other," Yang grins, tugging Blake along. "Here, follow me. He always runs out pretty fast, so we gotta start with him."

Blake doesn't even question it, just lets herself be pulled along. When she finds herself at a stall with shelves almost entirely covered with jars of pickles though she gives pause. Yang greets a balding man in a red apron.

"These," Yang declares to Blake, "Are the best pickles you will ever taste." She pays the pickle guy who bags two jars of pickles and trades Yang the bag for money. Yang immediately passes the bag over to Blake, with a "Here, for you" and a bright smile. Blake stares at Yang's offering, wary, and doesn't take it.

"Pickles?"

"Pickles are halal, I totally looked that up!"

"That is not exactly what I was… Pickles? I'm not saying I want chocolates or flowers, but pickles aren't usually traditional first-date gifts." Yang blinks so innocently that Blake almost believes that she means it.

"They're really good pickles," Yang's eyes crinkle into slits as she smiles, bouncing on the balls of her heels.

"I'm getting the idea that I vastly over-estimated your flirting abilities."

"It's part of my charm – I hook you with my devilishly good looks and smooth words and then I gift you with jars of pickles but it is too late. You've fallen for me." Yang winks and Blake's face goes hot, before Yang rattles the bag and continues awkwardly, "So, um, did you want the pickles? It's fine if you don't, I can take them home myself –,"

"I'll take them, but seeing as you made the mistake of buying them before we'd gotten done with our, well, date – you can carry them for me until we're done for the day."

"Right," Yang laughs sheepishly. Yang drops her hand with the bag to her side, her other hand tousling her hair. "I can totally do that."

Yang leads Blake around by the hand around the shops. They pass by one stall that has fresh baked bread that make Blake's mouth water even if she'd only just finished lunch. Most of the vendors are selling locally grown and made food. She'll have to come by another weekend, when she won't have such a trek back home. Maybe Sun will go with her. Maybe she can go with Yang again. Her stomach flutters at the thought.

Yang buys her a pretty set of silver bracelets and some lavender soap after carefully reading over the ingredients. Blake buys Yang a pair of sunglasses, which she puts on right away and takes a selfie of herself. When Blake watches her in amusement, Yang pulls her in and takes a couple pictures of them together. Blake's cheeks look blotchy but Yang refuses to delete them.

Yang stops at a table with pet toys and buys homemade dog treats and several dog toys. She sticks them in with the pickles and soap, saying she'll get them out later. While Yang does that though, Blake ducks away to the bathroom to wash-up and then to a quiet corner for her Asr prayer before rejoining Yang.

While Blake had been gone, Yang had also bought purchased a single rose – yellow with pink tips.

"You said you wanted flowers," Yang says with a broad smiling.

"No," says Blake, "I'm quite certain what I actually said was that I didn't want flowers… or chocolate for that matter." She takes the rose all the same with a soft smile.

"That so?" Yang says. "Well, the market is pretty bare by now – I was thinking about maybe heading back and if you'll let me – well, give you a ride on Bumblebee somewhere else?"

Blake grins. "Sounds great."

Yang's scroll goes off again, this time with a song that Blake vaguely remembers as a theme song to a popular cartoon from when she was young. Yang scrambles to answer it with a, "Sorry, one moment.

"Hey, Rubes? Whats up?" Yang says, a little anxiously. "Nothing's wrong, right?"

Blake frowns as she tries not to eavesdrop too closely. She can sort of hear Yang's sister on the other end, speaking frantically.

"Oh," Yang responds to her sister after a moment. "I'm kind of doing something important right now…"

Blake nudges Yang, shaking her head and mouthing "Go."

Yang sighs for a long moment, mouthing "Thank you… Sorry," to Blake before replying to her sister. "Fine, I guess I can. No. No. It's no problem, Ruby. We'll be outside the Beacon Dorms, just a couple blocks down from Patch Park in a bit… Yeah, see you soon... Love you too."

Yang ends her call and looks guiltily at Blake.

"That was Ruby, my sister. I need to drop something off for her. I''ll be taking the bus back with you but then I'll have to go… Even if I really don't want to." Yang couldn't be more disappointed than she looked.

"You'll just have to give me a ride another time then," Blake says, already leading Yang out and to the bus stop. Yang perks up, trotting after Blake.

"Hope we get a different bus driver," Blake says as she drops down onto the bus bench. There is no bus schedule posted at this stop, but they are in the inner city now. Buses come by more frequently so its no matter.

Yang laughs and says, "Betcha that bus driver drives right passed us without stopping if it isn't."

Blake snorts in agreement and waves off a bus going in another direction, to signal they are waiting for another bus. "So," Blake says as the other bus driver drives passed by them with a nod, "My last question then?"

"Yeah sure," Yang answers. Blake watches Yang, kicking her legs back and forth on the bench beside her, for a moment debating before taking the plunge.

"About what you said earlier – about something that happened that led to whatever bad choices you might have made. That wasn't part of the lie was it?" Blake asks before amending, "That isn't my question! Just making sure."

Yang doesn't look too bothered and laughs. "Nah, that was true. I mean, I was basically telling you to ask me, wasn't I?"

"You were." Blake agrees. A bus pulls up, this one heading to Signal Community College – their direction. Its a different bus driver and Yang smirks at her for a moment. They pull their bus passes out and board quickly. There are more people on the bus this time, but they find themselves two empty seats that are side-by-side to plop in. Blake waits a moment before turning to Yang. "So… What did happen when you were eleven?"

Yang breaths through her nose for a moment. "My mom died."

"Oh," says Blake, "Sorry." She never knows what to say to people who are grieving, even years after the fact.

Yang shrugs. "Soon after, though, I overheard a conversation between my father and my uncle. Turns out Summer was my dad's second wife and his first wife was my mom." Yang's right hand find her amethyst pendant. For the first time, Blake notices that the gem is cracked. "And she abandoned us – ran off soon after I was born, without a trace. Left me, my dad… her brother behind. At the time I thought Uncle Qrow was only my uncle because he was my dad's closest friend. But he's actually my mom's brother so he's really my uncle... And that makes Ruby my half-sister.

"For a long time I was obsessed with tracking my mom down and demanding answers," Yang continues and Blake listens. Yang isn't as distressed as she was with Blake's first question or detached as she had been with the second question. This time, Yang is just solemn. "I guess I still do want answers, but for now I'm just waiting for the right opportunity and living my life while I wait, the way Summer would have wanted."

"Oh," says Blake. "Sorry," she says again.

Yang shrugs again.

"I told you didn't I? I was kinda asking you to ask me?"

Blake nods.

The bus goes over a pot hole and they bounce in their seats.

"Time for your last question, isn't it?" Blake asks, readying herself to tell the truth no matter how much it hurt Blake.

"I'm going to save it until we're saying goodbye, if that's okay," Yang says.

"Okay," Blake echoes as Yang stands and pulls the string for their stop as do several others on the bus. The bus pulls to a gentle stop and Yang and Blake exit along with several other students, just a block away from Blake's dorm and where their date had begun.

"I'll wait with you until your sister comes," Blake says. "If that's alright?"

"That would be great." Yang says beaming as they fall into step side-by-side. "Weiss'll probably be driving Ruby though and she will look over by where I parked my bike first."

Blake hums as they head in the direction of where Yang had parked her bike. Perhaps it is for the best their date got cut short, her heels are really starting to ache her feet.

"Hey," Blake stops with a frown as they find Yang's bike. "How do we know who wins your game?"

"Not every game has winners or losers, Blake." Yang teases with a bright smile. Just then, an expensive looking car stops sharply and honks at them and a girl in an over-sized red hoodie throws open the passenger seat door and comes running at them, a thick manilla envelope in her hand.

"Yang!" she screeches as Yang yells out "RUBY!" Yang drops their bag gently on the pavement before running to meet her sister. Yang catches Ruby as Ruby leaps into Yang's arms and locks her legs around Yang's waist, hugging her like a koala. Blake blinks as she watches them.

"How long has it been since you two last saw each other?" Blake asks once they've settled down and both Ruby's feet are safely on the ground.

"This morning," they answer together, Ruby breaking into giggles. Blake stares at them bewildered.

From the car that Ruby had come from, the driver that Blake can't quite see through the tinted windows shouts, "They do this all the time! They think it is cute to act like they're having a dramatic reunion every time they see each other."

"Shut up Weiss!" Ruby shouts back. "I don't care what you think!"

Weiss doesn't say anything, but she slams the door Ruby had left open shut.

Ruby turns back to them grinning. She has the same smile as Yang, if a bit shyer. "Sorry I ruined your date."

"It's fine," Blake answers and the sisters both beam at her.

"So, introductions!" Yang says, "Blake, this is my genius little sister! She's getting, like, her tenth degree at Vale University right now. And she works as a social worker and she's only twenty-one!"

"Yang!" Ruby whines as her sister musses her hair. "It's only my fourth, don't be stupid."

Yang grins, her eyes gleaming with pride. "So, Ruby, this is Blake -,"

Ruby cuts her off, "Tch, Yang. I know all about Blake, you talk about her only all the time!"

"Ruby!" Yang squeals, hand slapping over her sister's mouth just a little too late and Ruby keeps laughing behind Yang's fingers. Yang's face is flaming red and Blake laughs at the sight.

Ruby grins widely at Blake when Yang finally drops her hand away from her face. Weiss honks the car for a long moment and even Blake who has never met Weiss can feel her impatience.

"Oh," Yang says, grabbing the bag and rooting around for dog treats and toys she'd purchased. "Before you go, can you take these back?"

"Oooh, nice. Zwei loves these. Thanks Yang." Ruby says, trading the envelope for the toys. She starts backing away and waves goodbye. "Sorry, again, for interrupting you guys… And… Yang, drive safe. See you around, Blake?"

"Sure," Blake answers as Weiss beeps her horn again, this time in short but quick succession. She continues until Ruby is nearly to the car, still waving back at them. Before shutting the door and climbing in, Ruby turns back to them and blows them a kiss that Yang returns, her cheeks still just a little pink.

"Your sister seems sweet," Blake says, taking pity on her.

Yang grins. "She's the absolute best." Yang bends and scoops up the bag she'd dropped, handing it off to Blake. Blake takes it gingerly, so as not to crush her rose, still in her hand. "Hope you enjoy your pickles."

"I'm sure I will," Blake teases and waits.

"So..." Yang starts, waving the envelope. "I gotta go and deliver this but. My last question…"

Yang asks her so fast that Blake doesn't even have time to brace herself, to be ready to be honest.

"Do you want to do this again?" Yang asks, face even redder than after what Ruby had said. "I mean, keep doing this, like dating."

Blake laughs in surprise. "You didn't have to ask that as part of your game, you know. I'd have been honest about that, no matter what."

Yang shrugs her shoulder, embarrassed. "I don't want to pressure you, or make you feel like you have to, or even guilt you. If you want to just be friends, that's fine." Yang scrambles to add, "Not that being your friend isn't great or a conciliatory prize or anything like that! Not 'just' friends, but just... friends. I mean-!"

Blake watches as Yang talk herself in circles for a moment. She's so earnest and sincere and it suddenly hits Blake how much Yang doesn't know her, because Blake lied and cheated at their silly little game. And here Yang is asking her so sweetly if Blake'd like to keep seeing her like this, but Yang doesn't have any idea who Blake is. What horrible things Blake had done. It didn't matter how much Blake rationalized that Adam coerced her or made things so confusing that she felt like she had to do as he asked. Blake had done all those horrible things and sometimes she hadn't felt been guilty doing them. She was acting like a victim when she'd victimized other people. Yang had been abused, really abused – the kind that left scars. What right did Blake have, to touch Yang? To date her, love her?

"No," Blake breathes without thinking, "Sorry, I can't-."

"Oh." Yang stops her rambling, eyes blown wide. She looks as though Blake had slapped her. "Oh, that's fine. I'm sorry that I, um." Yang is pulling away from Blake, drawing herself in on herself. She looks small as she fumbles with her helmet, pulling it on over her head. "Sorry, if I made you uncomfortable. Don't feel bad, seriously. Just me getting ahead of myself, like usual. Um, friends then? Or not?"

Yang is pulling away from her and suddenly that is the last thing that Blake wants. Hadn't she promised to stop herself from running away, just a while ago? Blake blurts out the only thing she can to stop Yang from leaving.

"Yang – you're the one that came up with this game – Two Truths and a Lie, remember?"

Yang freezes, stopping short just as she'd been prepared to hop onto her bike. Slowly, the corners of Yang's lips curl into a smile and she breathes out a giddy laugh.

"Thought we weren't going to tell which was the lie."

Blake feels a bit like she'd swallowed a rock, or multiple rocks. Now Yang thought her other two lies were true and that made every answer Blake had given for this game a lie.

"Well, you didn't give me much choice," Blake huffs, feeling a bit numb on the inside. "Besides, you told me which was yours."

Yang beams brightly with all the light of the sun.

"Aw, shit." Yang jumps suddenly, glancing at the envelope still in her hand. "Sorry, I do have to drop this off – work stuff, y'know?"

Blake nods, her head fuzzy.

"This has been fun." Yang says, darting forward and pressing a soft kiss to both Blake's cheeks. Her cheeks warm as though sun-kissed where Yang had touched her face. "See you!" Yang tosses her leg over her bike and starts it up. She blows a kiss and then she is off. Blake watches her go, blonde hair flying behind her like a golden cape.

She watches until she can't she can't see Yang and then until she can't hear the engine of her motorcycle rumbling in the distance.

Blake would tell her the truth eventually, but until then she'd bask in the light of Yang's warmth.

* * *

I've got a couple other projects I have to finish first, including 'If the moon should crumble' - sequel to 'If the stars should fall,' but I'll return to this AU as soon as possible.

When continued, the series would probably focus on two abuse victims navigating their first relationship with each other after their abusive ones, but the rest of Team RWBY and other characters would also appear. Future installments will be posted a separate story.

Thank you for reading.


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